Furniture



A. ERNEST FURNITURE Filed Aug. 10, 1932 2 Sheets-sheet 1 April 1 6 A. ERNEST April 16, 1935.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jag;

Patented Apr. 16, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates in general to furniture, and more particularly to an improved sofa or chair of the type suitable for conversion into a bed by the provision of displaceable and extensible seat and back portions.

While the invention is illustrated and described as incorporated in a sofa, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in a lounging chair or other article of furniture, as desired, and that the invention, therefore, possesses a Wide field of utility.

The principal objects and advantages of the present invention reside in the provision of an improved arrangement of the seat and back portions of a sofa or chair wherein the device may be extended in width to form a sufficient reclining portion to accommodate at least twopersons comfortably in a sleeping posture; the provision of a compact construction of sofa includ ing extensible portions whereby the device may be folded for day use as a chair or sofa and may be extended to form a complete substantially unbroken reclining surface for use as a bed; the provision of an improved arrangement of the back and seat members in which they are retained in extended reclining position or in the chair or seat form without the necessity of complicated locking mechanisms; the provision of an improved chair or sofa in which the seat and back portions, when extended, provide, by the arrangement of the back portion, a head rest slightly elevated above the level of the remaining portion; the provision, in an article of furniture of the character referred to, of improvedarrangement of extending foot portion which folds conveniently beneath the seat portion when not in use as a bed and is thus completely concealed and yet in which the seat portion may be raised, if desired, to gain access to a retaining compartment for bed clothing and the like; the provision of an improved sofa or chair construction wherein, by substantially only two movements of the seat and back portions, the article of furniture may be converted from a seat or chair to a bed and yet which, when in use as a chair, has all the advantages of the reclining type of chair or sofa.

The foregoing and such other objects and advantages as may appear or be pointed out as this description proceeds are attained in the structural embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the device of this invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional end elevation taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 4, illustrating certain parts of the device in position during conversion;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the device extended in position for use as a bed;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional front elevational view taken on the line fi-'-t of Figure 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view of a detail latching mechanism.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is provided a base or frame conveniently made of wood and including the bottom, front and rear rails 5 and 6 serving to connect at their respective ends the front and rear legs l and 8, 8, the said legs I and 8 being in turn connected by end panels or rails 9 and I0, thus forming a base frame. The front legs i are extended, as indicated at I I, and are connected with the upwardly extending back supporting portions 52 of the rear legs 8 by the provision of arm rests [3. These arm rests may be provided with upholstery indicated in dotted lines [4 in Figure 1.

The upwardly extending portions 2 of the back legs are connected by an intermediate panel or rail 55 against which the back portion is adapted to rest as will hereinafter appear, and at the top of the extending portions i2 I provide a top rail 16. a

As supporting rails for the operating mechanism which willbe later described, the rails H are framed into and supported by the front rail 5 and rear rail 6 adjacent to the end rails 9 and it respectively as best shown in Figure 4.

It will be understood that such portions of the base or frame asmay be desired, may be provided with suitable upholstery. In view of the fact that a showing of such upholstery would con fuse the essential parts of the invention, such showing of upholstery has been omitted.

Supported by the frame, I provide the seat member I8 and back member l9. It will be understood that the seat member and back memher are upholstered and consist of internal frames supporting spring members covered by padding and a yielding cloth cover, as desired. Inasmuch as the details of construction of these members internally have no essential bearing on the present invention, no showing has been made. It will be understood that the parts hereinafter described as secured to these seat and back members will be appropriately secured to the wooden frame portions thereof in a desired manner.

The back member H] has an internal frame portion, indicated in dotted lines at 2%, to which,

at each end of the back, there is secured a strap 2 Inasmuch as the mechanism to be described for the purpose of converting the seat to a bed is duplicated on both ends of the article of furni- \lle, a description of one end will be sufficient for an understanding of the invention. The strap 2| is suitably secured, preferably at an angle as indicated in Figures 1, 2 and 3, with respect to the plane of the back surface of the back member l9, and said strap exterxis beyond the lower end of the back member as indicated at 22 to form a hinge arm, The straps 2| are provided with extension lugs 2 la which are provided with lateral portions embracing the rear of the back member and serving as reinforcing means.

At about midway the length of the strap 2|, a. link 23 is pivoted, as indicated at 24, said link being pivoted at its lower end as indicated at 23,

the rail H.

The seat member I8 at its inner side, that is, the side adjacent to the back of the article of furniture, is provided on each end with a pedestal member 26, rigidly attached to the frame of the seat member l8 so as to be perpendicular to the plane of the seat member when in either of its normal positions. These members 25 are provided with foot portions 21 which are adapted to engage, and to be slidable upon, complemental track ways formed of angle iron or the like and indicated at 28, these track ways being secured to the upper edge of the supporting rails so as to accommodate the seat member in the desired position and to support the same rigidly in either the inner or outer positions as will hereinafter appear.

Near the outer side of the seat member I provide pair of hinge or pivot leaves 29 which are rigidly fastened to the frame of the seat member and extend beyond the normal bottom surface of the seat member, as indicated at 30, it being understood that there is one of these leaves at each end of the seat member. They serve as a pivot or hinge for an extending frame or foot portion 3|. This extending portion 3| is preferably made of metal for compactness and, as shown in Figure 4, is of substantially rectangular shape and is formed of angle iron or other suitable metal as indicated at 32, 32. This frame may be provided with any suitable form of spring or other yielding support 33, such as mesh wire, spring wire or the like, and the inner end of said extending frame 3| is pivoted to the extending portions 33 of the leaves 29, as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4.

The hinge of the extending frame or foot por- Hon. 3| in this manner permits the same to be folded beneath the seat member |l when the af er is to be employed as a chair or seat and to be extended in a substantially horizontal position, as shown in Figure 3, when the article of furniture is to be employed as a bed or for reclining purposes.

For supporting the extending frame, the latter is provided with front legs 34 and rear legs 35 rigidly riveted to the frame 3| and so positioned that. when the frame is folded beneath the seat portion, these legs lie up along the sides of the seat as best shown in Figure 2. In view of the fact that legs 34 and 35 are made of a relatively thin but sturdy metal, they do not interfere with the normal use of the seat portion in a position such as shown in Figure 1.

For the purpose of retaining the frame in its folded position, that is. beneath the seat portion as indicated in Figures 1 and 2, I provide a spring catch 3 la suitably secured to the seat portion and having a detent or pawl 32a adapted to engage one of the portions of the frame when it is lying against the bottom of the seat. This spring catch is best shown in Figures 2, 4 and 5.

In order to enable the seat to be folded or to be extended, the pedestal members 26 are pivotally connected, as indicated at 2611, to the extending portions 22 of the strap 2|, and thus the seat portion may be swung about the pivots 26a as a hinge to allow access to the extension frame or foot portion 3| when extaiding the same.

The pivot 26a is also connected by an auxiliary link 31 which latter has its lower end pivoted at 38 to a plate 39 which is fastened to the side of the supporting rail about midway between the front and rear rails 5 and 6, thus forming, with the strap 2| and link 23, a toggle, which serves to simultaneously position the back member when moving it into or out of reclining position. The links 23, 31 and strap 2| and their pivots are so proportioned as to distance apart and connection to their respective associated elements that the back member I9 is rigidly supported in the predetermined substantially perpendicular position when the article of furniture is used as a sofa or chair, and in a substantially horizontal position when used as a bed, and these links are also so proportioned that they are completely out of the way when the article of furniture is extended, as shown in Figure 3, to form a. bed.

In order to facilitate the movement of the bed and seat portions from seating position to reclining position I provide a plurality of helical springs preferably two on each end of the sofa or chair, indicated at 43 and 430, these springs being anchored at one end, as at 4| and 4|a, to the supporting rails l1 and at the outer end at 42 and 42a to the link 31 as best shown in Figures 2 and 3.

A removable cushion member 43 is provided which forms a loose cushion seat when the article of furniture is closed for use as a sofa or chair, as shown in Figure l and is placed on frame 3| as a mattress when the article of furniture is extended for use as a bed as shown in Figure 4.

This removable cushion member is preferably of the conventional spring filled construction. Thus when the article of furniture is in extended position the back member I9, seat member l3 and cushion 43 provide a continuous upholstered surface which may be used as a bed of itself or if so desired may be used as a base for a thin mattress covering all of the units.

From the foregoing it will be understood that if desired the front and rear legs I and 8, end panels or rails 9 and arm rests l3 may in each instance be made up as complete end frame portions with appropriate upholstery or the like as desired, after the complete unit assembly of the back and seat member on the frame comprising the front and rear rails 5 and 6 and end supporting rails H has been completed, thus permitting of the end frames formed of the front and rear legs and their associated parts to be bolted or otherwise secured rigidly to the extending portions of the front or rear rails 5 and 5 in a manner such, for example, as shown in Figure 4, by the provision of brackets 45, 45, these brackets being screwed or otherwise rigidly affixed to the respective front and rear legs or front and rear rails. The intermediate back rail l5 may be fastened in proper position to the rear posts l2 by any desired means, conveniently by brackets 46.

The invention is shown in Figure 1 as in seating position, that is to say in position for use as a chair or sofa. In this position it will be observed that the back member I 9 substantially completely fills the back of the frame of the furniture, and that the lower portion of said back member engages the intermediate rail l5 substantially rigidly supporting the back member in position. The seat member, in turn, is, by the provision of the foot members 21, firmly supported by the track ways 28 at the inner end, and at the outer end additionally supported by the track ways in view of the lower ends of the hinge leaves 29 seating on the outer ends of these track ways. To convert the article into a bed, the seat member is first raised on its hinges 26a to a position approximately that shown in Figure 2, and the extending portion or frame 3| is then released from the catch 3 la and swung up and out as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2. When this has been accomplished, the seat may be again lowered into a substantially horizontal position, and by pulling outwardly on the frame 3| the toggle mechanism will cause the back member to settle into a position such as that shown in Figure 3. In this position the foot members 21 again act as a support for the inner end of the seat member 18, and the then outer end of the back member 19. Inasmuch as it is desirable that the back member be slightly elevated beyond the rest of the bed, it will be observed that the intermediate rail I5 is so positioned that the normal upper end of the back member l9 will, in the reclining position, rest upon said rail l5.

If desired a storage space for bedding and the like may be provided in the base frame by providing a bottom of some light material such as plywood or sheet metal fastened to the bottom of the front and rear rails 5 and 6 and the supporting rails I! as indicated at 44 on Figure 4.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In furniture, a supporting frame including a supporting rail provided with a trackway, a seat member and a back member hingedly connected together by a common hinge, said seat member being extensible beyond the confines of said frame to afford a reclining portion, said seat member being engageable with the trackway in two positions, a link member pivoted at one end to said supporting rail and at the other end to said com- .non hinge, an auxiliarylink also pivoted at one end on said supporting rail and pivoted at the other end to said back member adjacent to the medial portion thereof and spring actuating means connected to said first mentioned link intermediately the ends thereof, thus tending to hold said link and said seat portion in a position within the confines of said frame, and supporting means carried by the said frame, said supporting means being adapted for abutment with the lower end of said back when the latter is in an erect position for relieving strain on said links, and said supporting means being so positioned on said frame that it supports said back when the latter and said seat portion are extended in reclining position.

2,. In furniture, a supporting frame including a supporting rail provided with a trackway, a seat member and a back member hingedly connected together by a common hinge, said seat member being extensible beyond the confines of said frame to afford a reclining portion, said seat member being engageable with the trackway in two positions, a link member pivoted at one end to said supporting rail and at the other end to said common hinge, an auxiliary link also pivoted at one end on said supporting rail and pivoted at the other end to said back member adjacent to the medial portion thereof and spring actuating means connected to said first mentioned link intermediately the ends thereof, thus tending to hold said link on said seat portion in a position within the confines of said frame, and supporting means carried by said frame adapted for abutment with the lower end of said back when the latter is in erect position for relieving strain on said links, and so positioned on said frame that it supports said back in inclined relation to said seat when the latter and said back portion are extended in reclining position.

3. In furniture, a supporting frame comprising end portions spaced apart by a front rail and a back rail, a seat member and a back member hingedly connected at their adjacent corners and means for supporting said back and seat members on said frame whereby said back member may be moved from a substantially vertical position to a substantially horizontal position entirely within the limits of said frame upon the movement of said seat member forwardly with respect to said back member, said supporting means comprising at each end of said frame a supporting member extending between the front and back rails, a link member pivotally connected at one end to said supporting means and pivotally connected at the other end to the medial portion of said back member and a second link member pivotally connected at one end of said supporting member and pivotally connected at the other end I to the hinged connection between the back and seat members, and a back supporting rail extending between said end portions of said frame which abuts the bottom of said back member when in substantially vertical position and supports the 1 top of said back member when in substantially horizontal position.

ALBERT ERNEST. 

